


Heatwaves

by Milou28



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aobajousai, Athletic Trainer Iwaizumi Hajime, Child Iwaizumi Hajime, Child Oikawa Tooru, Childhood Friends, Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, I feel so lonely after writing this, Inspired by Fanart, Inspired by Music, Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru Friendship, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Angst, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Fluff, Jealous Iwaizumi Hajime, Kitagawa Daiichi, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned Ushijima Wakatoshi, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Oikawa Tooru, One Shot, POV Iwaizumi Hajime, Pining Iwaizumi Hajime, Pro Volleyball Player Oikawa Tooru, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Summer Love, Summer Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, my heart is on the floor, pinky promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milou28/pseuds/Milou28
Summary: Iwaizumi and Oikawa fall for each other during summer in Miyagi. They keep falling for each other years later, hopelessly and blindly, until they can't any longer.ORin which childhood friends still pine over each other years later during the Argentinian summer.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio & Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	Heatwaves

**Author's Note:**

> So I've somehow managed to write this humongous piece of writing (not exactly sure how) and although it took a while to complete, like literally over 2 weeks, it's sort of a relief to have it done now, because now my head can rest.  
> This was inspired by fanart from tiktok by @/santa.ana.winds and I put the link for it at the end notes so definitely check it out, it's literally the epitome of beauty.  
> I really hope you give this a chance and end up enjoying it!
> 
> I made a playlist for this fanfic that's right [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2NV2Zv9loJ1rGUZk6vI73i?si=52PUlTT3RjK5rW4TWwmxEw) . It doesn't have any specific order but I just think the songs resonate with this fanfic!

The first time Iwaizumi met Oikawa his knees were scraped and he was missing one of his front teeth. They were at the prime of their youth, 8 years old and running the streets during the day, their only concern was being able to get home before their mothers would holler for them to get back inside. 

It was a sweltering summers day, a heatwave had swept Miyagi, and its residents had taken to holing themselves in their air conditioned rooms; you’d have to be crazy to willingly step underneath the blazing heat. However, a few brave kids decided to disregard their parents reprimands about sunburn and roamed the parks regardless.

Iwaizumi had spotted Oikawa bouncing a ball against his forearms, or trying to at least. The ball always seemed to fly off his forearms, and Oikawa would have to chase it and start over again with a huff and a childish pout. Iwaizumi himself was busy trying to capture the mighty stag beetle with his trusty net, that he would later let go of course; he wasn’t heartless.

He’d stopped to stare at the boy, seemingly entranced by his imperfect receiving form and his look of unshakable concentration. He felt the sun burn into the back of his neck from standing in one spot too long, but paid no heed to it and stayed rooted in his place; only lifting a hand to rub at the sore spot. He knew would definitely get it from his mother later.

”Hey!”

Iwaizumi’s stare was broken by a shout, his eyes widened and the tips of his ears glowed red, before he quickly turned on his heel and marched back to the tree he was initially headed to before he was distracted. It seemed as though he had been caught, embarrassment flooded through him like he was caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

”Hey!” The boy shouted again, except this time the sound of shoes kicking up dust followed after his voice. “Don’t ignore me!”. Iwaizumi scoffed, choosing to ignore the boy, and stuck his foot into a wedge between two tree trunks, wiggling it about before hoisting himself up.

"Hey!" Another frustrated cry.

Iwaizumi climbed higher up the tree, ignoring the poor boys huffs and the sound of his small feet stomping against the ground in frustration. His eyes glowed with excitement when he found a lone beetle perched on a branch above him, and cautiously lifted himself onto a tree trunk closer to the branch, so as to not scare it away. He stuck his tongue out in concentration and pulled his net back, leaning forward so he would be ready to pounce like a lion after its prey. 

His body tensed under pressure, flinching slightly when the beetle batted its wings momentarily. A grin stretched on his face as he swiftly slammed the net forward, his eyes squeezed shut in attempt to contain his fervor. He felt the trunk tremor underneath him and squinted one eye open to see if he caught the bug; instead his eyes grew wide, lips parting in bewilderment, and a look of pure confusion crossing over his face.

"Ow!" It seemed as though Iwaizumi had caught something other than a beetle. "Could you get this net off me?"

Iwaizumi felt his brow twitch in annoyance, his nose scrunching at the site of a boy caught under his net instead of the beetle. He spotted the bug flitting off to perch on a different, much higher and hard to reach branch. He hung his head in defeat and let out a whine, kicking his legs outwards, and shaking the tree slightly with his movements.

"O-Oi stop that!" The boy spoke shakily. "I'm gonna fall!" The boy planted his hands against the trunk firmly to hold on. "...Don't look at me like that!" The boy cried out and pouted, in turn Iwaizumi scowled and shook the trunk harder out of spite. "Hey! What's your problem?!"

Iwaizumi let out a series of incoherent mumbles in response, to which the boy strained his ears to hear, cupping one of them with his hand and leaning closer. "Sorry, could you speak louder?" He spoke innocently. 

"You...made me miss my bug..." Iwaizumi grumbled out, lifting his head slightly to peek at the boy. He scowled harder when he saw the boy with his hand raised to his mouth in attempt to conceal his giggles. Iwaizumi swatted at the boy in annoyance, the boy barely being able to dodge backwards, his movements slightly restricted from the net, and busted out laughing. "Don't laugh at me you...you idiot!"

The boys giggles trailed off into the wind as he wiped away a stray tear before speaking again. "Okay, okay" He stuck out a hand in front of Iwaizumi and beamed up at him. "My name's Oikawa Tooru!" 

Iwaizumi stared down at Oikawa's hand, internally debating whether or not to shake the slightly dirty hand in front of him, but before he could decide, his hand was pulled from its grip on the trunk and now wrapped in a clammy handshake. He turned his head to the side out of embarrassment, before clearing his throat and turning back.

"Iwaizumi Hajime" He squeezed the boys hand tightly before letting go and dropping it back onto the trunk.

"Ah!" Oikawa cried out excitedly. "Iwa-Chan!"

Iwaizumi spluttered, ears tinting red. "No, Iwaizumi!"

"But Iwa-Chan sounds so much cuter!" Oikawa chimed

"Ew"

"Ew?" Oikawa repeated offended.

"It sounds stupid" Iwaizumi's face twisted in disgust, causing Oikawa to gasp in horror.

"Iwa-Chan! You're face is so not cute right now!" Oikawa complained, jutting his bottom lip into a pout.

"Argh!" Iwaizumi huffed, he didn't have it in him to argue back and forth with someone as stubborn as a mule. "Whatever Idiotkawa"

"Iwa-Chan!" Oikawa gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "I gave you such a cute nickname, and you gave me such an ugly one!"

"Yeah to go with your ugly face" Iwaizumi stuck out his tongue mockingly, earning him a whine from Oikawa.

"You're so mean" He folded his arms and puffed his chest out. "And here I was about to invite you to play with me"

Iwaizumi perked at Oikawa's words, before regarding him with skepticism; no one had asked to play with him before. "Play what?" He questioned.

"Volleyball, duh!" Despite his words seeming somewhat condescending, Iwaizumi could feel the sincerity in Oikawa's tone. "I saw you staring, so I thought maybe you'd want to join... maybe?" Oikawa's voice trailed off in uncertainty, as if he was scared of Iwaizumi's rejection.

Iwaizumi noting this, shrugged his shoulders and whispered a soft 'sure'. "Great! But uh, could you get this net off me first?"

"Oh yeah" Iwaizumi mumbled back softly and carefully lifted his net off of Oikawa's head.

Iwaizumi swung a leg over the other side of the trunk and began descending down the tree, hands grappling at the nooks and cranny's to hold on to. His feet felt wobbly when he finally made it back to the ground, probably from sitting too long and noticed the lack of Oikawa next to him. He looked up confused to see Oikawa staring down at him with a frightened expression, his feet dangling in the air and hands gripping the tree trunk tightly.

"What are you doing?"

"Umm, just trying to get down"

"Wouldn't you have to move to do that" Iwaizumi deadpanned.

Oikawa whimpered softly. "Yeah but what if I fall"

"Then you fall"

"Iwa-Chan you're not helping!"

"Why'd you climb up if you can't get down?"

"I wasn't thinking, I just climbed after you"

"You don't think at all, do you?" Iwaizumi snickered, with one hand perched on his hip and the other pointed at Oikawa.

"Iwa-Chan help me or i'll curse you to stay ugly for the rest of your life!" Oikawa threatened only causing Iwaizumi to laugh harder. "It's your fault in the first place!"

"Heh?!" Iwaizumi frowned "How's it my fault?"

"If you didn't run away like a scaredy cat, then I wouldn't have climbed after you" Oikawa replied in an accusatory tone.

"What th-" Iwaizumi cut himself off and sighed. "You know what fine" He moved directly below Oikawa and threw his arms out. "Jump"

Oikawa blinked owlishly before yelling. "Are you crazy!"

"Just jump Oikawa" Iwaizumi jutted his head down, motioning for Oikawa to jump. "I'll catch you I swear"

"But I'm too heavy"

Iwaizumi snorted. "No you're not, just jump"

Oikawa flinched back and his face scrunched up in skepticism, before he let go of his iron-grip on the trunk and scooched forwards. "If I fall and die-"

"You won't" Iwaizumi interjected and rolled his eyes.

"If I die" Oikawa repeated louder. "I'll haunt you forever" 

"Yeah, yeah sure"

Oikawa shifted silently in place, his nerves causing a terrified expression to arise on his face. Iwaizumi watched patiently as Oikawa took his time to glance down at the vast distance between his position and the ground (really it was only one metre high).

Oikawa yelped and jumped back slightly in fright, before taking a huge gasp of air and murmuring a barely audible 'here I go'. He finally pushed off the trunk, limbs flailing and a high-pitched scream breaking through the air. 

Iwaizumi paced back a little, eyes wide as he realized he had miscalculated his place, his body turning and twisting to get in the right position to catch Oikawa. He panicked as he saw Oikawa nearing the ground in front of him, and hastily scrambled forwards to try catch him.

Oikawa's body fell on top of his in the nick of time and they tumbled to the ground in a pile. Iwaizumi groaned in pain, his body screaming under the extra weight pushing him firmly onto the hard ground. He pushed off Oikawa's body, causing Oikawa to roll off him and fall besides him instead. 

"You said you'd catch me" Oikawa moaned, his head turning to face Iwaizumi's, who then turned towards him.

"I did... kind of" 

The two laid there for a while --they weren't sure for how long-- hissing in pain and bouncing complaints between each other, with their arms splayed above their eyes to shield them from the sun. Iwaizumi propped himself up with his elbows, letting out a low huff, before using the palms of his hands to pull himself back onto his feet. He stretched out a hand towards Oikawa, his body blocking the suns harsh rays from Oikawa's vision. 

"Come on" Iwaizumi waved his hand lazily in front of Oikawa. "Let's go play volleyball"

Oikawa dropped his arm from his brow and reached for Iwaizumi's hand, it was dirty and clammy with sweat, but he didn't seem to mind much. A grin broke out on Oikawa's face as he pulled himself up with Iwaizumi's help, and brushed the dust off his pants once he was back onto his feet.

Oikawa ran off to the side where he left his volleyball, waving a hand to beckon Iwaizumi to him, who bounded towards him with a fervent smile stretching from ear to ear.

They'd played for a few hours that day, Oikawa laughing at Iwaizumi every time the ball bounced into his face instead of back onto his forearms, and had only gone back home once their mums' had practically dragged them back in by the scruffs of their necks.

They ended up playing together for the rest of the sweltering summer, whether it was volleyball or catching bugs (Oikawa was terrible at that and also afraid of bugs) and had adopted deep tans from their hours in the sun.

You would think it would all end once summer did and school started. Their mothers sure hoped so, seeing as ever since they had become something like best friends, the amount of soiled clothes they had to wash each week just seemed to pile up.

However, unfortunately for them and the rest of their elementary school, the boys had discovered that they went to the same schools, but were just in different classes, and had taken to wrecking havoc during break time and the walk home.

****

The sound of shoes squeaking against gym floors and the sharp slapping of volleyballs against reddened palms sung through the air. Oikawa could be found running up and jumping to serve a ball over the net countless times, constantly repeating the movements until it became ingrained in his muscle memory.

His run ups were swift with calculated steps, not too many and not too little. The ball spun wildly in the air and as Oikawa lifted off the floor and flew to meet it, the ball smacked harshly against his stinging hand, landing just inside the line of the opposite court. 

He kissed his teeth in frustration, clearly not content with his powerful serve despite it getting in, and went to retrieve another ball from the basket and resuming his motions. He lifted it close to his forehead and released a deep breath, before repeating the same calculated steps as before.

Just as he threw the ball up and took off into the air, a meek voice broke his concentration, causing him to swat at the air instead of the ball, the ball falling on top of his head as a result.

"Oikawa-San?" Oikawa turned with a scowl on his face towards an underclassmen with a hopeful look on his. "Could you teach me your serve...please?"

Oikawa groaned in annoyance, dragging a hand down his face. "Can't you see I'm trying to practice that myself Tobio-Chan" Oikawa drawled out, ignoring the disappointed pout on Kageyama's face. "Now shoo" He waved a hand towards Kageyama, like the way you would a dog. "I need to concentrate, and I can't do that with you watching my every move"

"Okay..." Kageyama turned dejected and jogged to the gym doors with his head hung in despondence. He stepped out of the gyms, only to bump against a firm chest and felt arms on his shoulders steadying him from falling. "Ah sorry...Iwaizumi-San?"

Iwaizumi sent Kageyama a gentle, close-eyed smile and ruffled his hair. "No worries, just get home safe it's getting pretty late." Kageyama nodded his head furiously, scaring Iwaizumi into thinking his head might fall off, before running to the club room. 

Iwaizumi looked forwards to see Oikawa back in position and about to serve another ball. He sighed heavily, his brows knitting together in concern; Practice had ended an hour ago. Silently, he walked into the gym, dropping his and Oikawa's bags, that he went to retrieve from the club room, onto the floor.

He picked up a stray ball from the sidelines of the court and lifted it above his head. He let out a sharp huff before pulling back his arm and lobbing the ball towards Oikawa (who was suspended mid-air about to hit his own ball). 

The ball smacked hard against the back of Oikawa's head, causing him to cry out in pain and miss his serve again. He winced and rubbed at the sore spot, before turning to glare at his offender, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. 

"Ah sorry, I threw the ball to hard" Iwaizumi apologized, worry present in his tone as he jogged over to Oikawa and crouched down to his eye-level.

Oikawa scoffed and replied back in a confused tone. "Well why'd you throw the ball in the first place, huh?"

"To get your attention" Iwaizumi replied back plainly, earning him a dumbfounded stare.

"You couldn't have just-I don't know, called my name" Oikawa waved his arms dramatically to intensify his point. "You know, like a normal person"

"Yeah, yeah whatever" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, standing back up and holding out a hand for Oikawa to grab onto. "Let's go home already"

Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi's hand, tugging himself up with a grunt. "How about we practice, for say..." He rubbed his chin in mock thought. "30 more minutes?" Oikawa batted his lashes, his hands forming a praying sign, and voice slightly higher pitched, causing Iwaizumi's face to twitch in both disgust and amusement. "Pretty please?"

"No, give it a rest already" Oikawa pouted, in turn Iwaizumi sighed and covered Oikawa's face with his hand, pushing it back and eliciting a shriek from him in response as Tooru tried to pry his hand off. "Come on, I'll buy ice-cream"

Oikawa, after finally pulling Iwaizumi's annoyingly strong grip off his face, grinned at Iwaizumi, his face practically glowing like the sun. "Great let's go!" 

Tooru grabbed Iwaizumi's hand, the one that was on his face just moments ago, and pulled him out the gym and breaking into a run. Iwaizumi yelled in shock, barely being able to scoop up their bags and fumbling with them in his arms.

He was about to chastise Oikawa, when he caught sight of the child-like smile gracing Oikawa's face and heard the melodious tune of his giggles. He allowed a content smile to tug at the corners of his mouth, before he finally ran a little faster and felt into step with Oikawa, now both of them were running like children in a playground.

They stopped in front of a local convenience store, hands placed on their knees, panting in breathlessness and still giggling in joy. Iwaizumi stretched backwards, his hands placed on his lower back, and released a low sigh before twisting to face Oikawa and nudging his ankle with his foot. Oikawa looked at him, with one eye closed and a smile still stretched across his face, before lifting an arm lazily to nudge Iwaizumi back.

Iwaizumi dropped their bags down, which fell with a heavy thump, and rested his own bag on his knee to fish for his wallet. After a few seconds of digging, he pulled out a Godzilla themed wallet and walked towards the stores doors. He stopped for a moment, turning back and pointing at Oikawa with a knowing look.

"Blueberry ice-bar?" Oikawa chuckled and nodded.

"You know me so well Iwa-Chan" Iwaizumi grinned in response before disappearing into the store.

Oikawa sighed and plopped down onto the concrete floor in front of the store, using the palms of his hands to lean back. He hung his head back with his eyes closed, soaking in the afternoon warmth, a gentle glow illuminating the shadows of his face. He looked like the perfect image of peace.

Iwaizumi walked out only a few minutes later, with two ice-bars in hand and his wallet clenched between his teeth as he bent down to place it back in his bag. He moved to sit next to Oikawa, with one leg perched on the concrete floor, the other stretched out in front of him. He pressed Oikawa's ice-bar against his face, allowing Oikawa to feel the coolness against his cheek, before he cracked an eye open and grabbed the ice-bar from him.

Oikawa wiped his cheek, split open the wrapper and pulled out the ice-bar. He watched Iwaizumi struggle to open his own ice-bar next him, Iwaizumi attempting to rip it open with his bare teeth, before letting out a sigh and grabbing it off him. He flipped the ice-bar --to a place where Iwaizumi hadn't violently bitten and slobbered over-- grimacing when he touched a wet spot and wiped his fingers on Iwaizumi's shoulder, earning a grumble from the other.

He split open the wrapper, pulled out the ice-bar and handed it over to Iwaizumi, before getting up to throw both their wrappers into a bin. He grabbed both their bags and handed Iwaizumi's bag to him, before nodding his head to the side and gesturing for them to leave. 

Iwaizumi pushed himself up and slung his bag over his shoulders, ice-cream held between his teeth, before pulling the stick down, biting a chunk off and chewing it; This earned him a disturbed look from Oikawa. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, chewing his ice-bar slower, only to receive a disappointed head shake in response. 

They walked casually down the twisting roads, eventually nearing a nearby river and walking closer along the bank. Iwaizumi shoved Oikawa lightly, pushing him closer to the water and snickering at Oikawa's flustered expression. Oikawa let out a whine, before pushing Iwaizumi, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. They continued their childish game of shove and pull, until Oikawa almost fell into the water if it wasn't for Iwaizumi grabbing him at the last minute.

They erupted in a fit of laughter before continuing to walk in a comfortable silence. Oikawa pulled his ice-bar out his mouth and stuck out his tongue and shook iwaizumi's arm to gain his attention. He pointed at his colored tongue with an eager expression.

"Iwa-Chan what color is it?" His words had a slight lisp to them due to his tongue being stuck out.

"Blue" Iwaizumi stuck out his own tongue, crossing his eyes to try and see it. "What colors mine?"

"It's red!" Oikawa answered back enthusiastically, tongue now back in his mouth. "You know, red and blue makes purple?"

"Well yeah, we are in the same art class you know?" His tone turned incredulous, suspicious as to why Oikawa was stating that. "What do you want?"

"Why would I want anything?" Oikawa pouted at Iwaizumi's skepticism, before sighing and making doll eyes at him. "I want my tongue to turn purple"

"I'm not giving you my ice-cream"

"Iwa-Chan please!" Oikawa cried.

Iwaizumi huffed before grabbing Oikawa's blueberry ice-bar and replacing his now empty grip with his own strawberry ice-bar before he could start complaining. He rolled his eyes as he watched Oikawa's face lift, his heart seizing slightly. He rubbed his chest with confusion and wondered if he was having heart problems or something. He decided to ignore it and chomped on Oikawa's --now his-- ice-cream. They turned to each other a few minutes later at the same time, tongues stuck out and erupted in laughter.

"Your tongues purple" Oikawa gasped and giggled softly.

"So's yours" Iwaizumi chuckled.

They continued walking along the river bank, occasionally stopping to pick up stray flat stones and skipping them; eventually turning it into a competition on who could skip the stones further. Oikawa cried out in shock, gaining Iwaizumi's attention, and beckoned him over. Iwaizumi moved closer, slinging an arm over Oikawa's broad shoulders, leaning nearer to him.

"Look!" Oikawa held his ice-stick closer to Iwaizumi, showing him the 'winner' printed on the wood. "Ah but we're too far to go back now" Oikawa groaned in realization.

"We'll get it tomorrow, ok?" Iwaizumi popped his ice-bar back in his mouth, using his teeth to pull off the remaining ice and taking it back out to show 'Loser' printed on his. He clicked his tongue and pouted. "I lost" He held the stick closer to Oikawa, arm still slung around his shoulders.

"I'll give you my winner then!" Oikawa exclaimed, before pausing in thought. "It can be your early birthday present!"

Iwaizumi scoffed playfully, pushing Oikawa away from him and breaking their huddled position. "What kind of shitty present is that?" He lifted a brow in questioning. "Don't tell me you haven't gotten me anything yet?"

Oikawa moaned and ruffled his hair, mussing it up further than it already was. "Iwa-Chan is so hard to find gifts for though"

"Wow and you claim to be my best friend" Iwaizumi teased.

"I am!" Oikawa huffed and stomped his feet childishly. "But like, what do you even want? You already have the greatest gift of all" He paused dramatically before continuing. "Me!"

They both erupted into laughter again, wheezing from breathlessness, Iwaizumi slapping Oikawa's back and Oikawa gripping Iwaizumi's other arm trying to compose himself. They ended up falling down after Oikawa doubled over and dragged Iwaizumi down with him. They reclined onto their backs, still slightly drunk with glee, and the sky painting a pink hue across the blushes of their cheeks. 

"That was a good one" Iwaizumi commended, reaching an arm over to pat Oikawa's shoulder.

"Seriously though" Oikawa turned onto his side, directly facing Iwaizumi now. "What do you want?"

Iwaizumi held Oikawa's gaze for a moment, before blinking away and looking up at the soft colored sky. The sun beat down on him, causing him to squint his eyes, and the humidity in the air was giving his skin a sticky feeling. He laid in silent thought, pondering over what he even wanted. There wasn't anything that he particularly yearned for --not within Oikawa's very limited budget-- and Oikawa was sort of right. Not that he would admit it out loud, but he did already have the greatest gift he could want.

Oikawa himself.

He faced Oikawa again, reaching a hand to pull at his cheeks lightly, causing Oikawa to slap his hand away with a whine. He gave Oikawa a fond smile, eyes crinkling at the corner before speaking. "I wanna play volleyball with you"

Oikawa rolled his eyes in irritation, but the smile spilling dangerously over his lips said otherwise. "Well duh, of course we will."

"Hmm, even in high school?" Iwaizumi questioned.

"Of course dummy" He spoke in a tone that told Iwaizumi 'what else did you think'. Iwaizumi grinned harder at the thought, his cheeks beginning to ache. "We're gonna go Seijoh together, and we're gonna play together, you know because we're partners and all, and we'll beat Ushiwaka and laugh in his face, and then we'll go to nationals" Oikawa moved to sit on his knees and held out his pinky for Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi grabbed Oikawa's pinky with his own, sitting up slightly. They chuckled and leaned closer, foreheads nearly touching and eyes closed. They were so close that they could taste each other. Iwaizumi cracked his eyes open, just in time to see the rose and orange shades painted across Oikawa's cheeks, the sunset using his face as its canvas.

He noted the way Tooru's nose sloped downwards, the way his cheekbones dipped, and the rosy swell of his lips. He found himself wanting to touch every part of Tooru's face, wanting to familiarize himself with the feel of it against his fingertips, so that he might never forget it. He wanted to immortalize Tooru in his memories.

"Tooru" He whispered softly, as if telling a secret. "You know, you're the greatest" 

Oikawa opened his eyes, eyebrows knitted and sighed contentedly. "I'm good, but I wouldn't say I'm the greatest"

"Nah" Iwaizumi dismissed before pulling away and standing back up, extending a hand to heave Oikawa up with him. He held Oikawa's hand for a little while longer, squeezing it gently before dropping it. "You're the greatest"

Oikawa giggled as they walked side by side, shoulders bumping clumsily and hands brushing past each other. "If you say so Hajime"

****

Iwaizumi sat cross-legged and shirtless on his living room floor, his face practically pressed against the fan in front of him. It was the middle of summer break, a blistering heat swept Miyagi with ferocity, causing the air to thicken with humidity and sweat. Iwaizumi had settled on staying glued next to the fan that barely provided him any relief from the weather or made his skin any less stickier, but it was better then nothing. 

He lifted himself off the floor, using his hand to fan his face temporarily, as he made his way to the freezer. He swung open the door, crouching down in front of the freezer and closing his eyes to relish in the coolness that washed over him. He pulled out an ice tray, slammed the door shut again and grabbed a bowl to place all the ice cubes into. He discarded the now empty tray on the side, disregarding the fact that his mother would probably yell at him for not filling it again later. 

Popping an ice-cube into his mouth, he slunk back in front of the fan and turned the TV on to the sports channel. An international volleyball game was up next, Serbia Vs Russia , but neither of the teams playing was one he particularly supported; He was more of a Brazilian league fan. He watched silently, occasionally cheering when a team made a point and cursing when a ball was out of bounds or ill received. His bowl of ice-cubes was slowly running out as he chewed on them absentmindedly, until all that was left was a puddle of cold water that he gulped down.

His phone buzzed besides him on the floor, the obnoxious ringing never ceasing no matter how much he tried to ignore it. He groaned as he reached for it, flipping the screen up and reading the series of text messages he'd received, his face dropping into a scowl as he read them. 

>> Come outside in 10 mins

>> Hey

>> Heyyyyyyy

>> I know you're not doing anything

>> Don't ignore me

>> Pls I'm bored and it's nice outside

He didn't bother to open the rest of the messages and instead began typing furiously, before heaving an exasperated sigh, his face relaxing and deleting the angry paragraph he'd written about how disgustingly humid it was outside.

>> I'll be there in a min

>> You better be out by then

Iwaizumi cursed himself and his weakness as he turned off the fan and climbed the stairs to his room to put on the lightest muscle tee he owned. He left his house after yelling that he was leaving, with only his phone stored in his basketball shorts pocket. He crossed the road and approached a similar two-story house to his own, waiting in front and leaning against the fence, with his hands buried deep in his pockets. 

The door swung open seconds later, a shout being heard before it was shut again. Oikawa skipped towards him and clapped a hand on his shoulder in greeting. He glanced down at Oikawa's outfit, a simple pair of grey shorts and a lilac muscle tee. He pushed off the fence and stretched his arm up and to the side.

"The hell you call me out for?" He questioned.

Oikawa clicked his tongue before replying. "Look how beautiful it is today!" He threw his arms out, gesturing around him in a grand manner. "It would be a waste to spent it cooped up all day"

Iwaizumi shot him an irked face. "It's 30 degrees out here, I'm literally roasting alive"

"Oh you're being dramatic, it's not even that hot, you're barely sweating!" Oikawa dismissed with a scoff.

"It's not hot? I'm not that sweaty, huh?" Iwaizumi wiped the back off his neck with his hand, beads of sweat having collected there, and smacked it lightly on Oikawa's face. Oikawa let out a high-pitched shriek, smacked his hand away and used his own shirt to wipe his face.

"Yuck Iwa-Chan what was that for?!"

Iwaizumi was distracted slightly by the sight of Oikawa's exposed abdomen, lengths of smooth skin stretched over defined abs being revealed to him. When did Oikawa get ripped?

He gulped heavily, eyes trailing over the expanse of Oikawa's body, spying bulks of muscles on his thighs and his flexed arms, ones that he didn't notice were being built over the years since middle school. His eyes snapped back to Oikawa's face, high cheekbones and heart-shaped with unblemished skin; Save the barely noticeable scar on the tip of his nose, from when he fell face first and received a cut along it. His hair was messier than usual but still looked perfectly fluffed somehow, even with a few strands sticking to his damp forehead.

"I know I'm like insanely attractive, but your staring is getting a little creepy now" Oikawa chimed. 

Iwaizumi's face scrunched up in disgust, now completely broken out of his daze. "As if, I was just thinking how stupid you look"

"Huh?" Oikawa looked down at himself, surveying for any sort of flaw on him, before looking back at Iwaizumi with mock offence. "We're literally wearing the same thing"

"I meant your face" He replied bluntly.

Oikawa sighed heavily, placing a comforting hand on Iwaizumi's shoulder that he shook off immediately. "I know good looks like this are pretty uncommon for you to see, so I understand"

He chuckled at Oikawa's theatrics, causing a smile to split across both their faces, and shook his head in disbelief. "You're right, how could I, a lowly being, ever understand his royal highness?" He claimed teasingly.

"Well, at least you know now." Oikawa nodded his head in understanding, before they both erupted into laughter hidden behind clammy palms.

Iwaizumi was the first to straighten up and beckoned Oikawa with a wave of his hand. "Come on, let's go"

"Where?"

"You're the one who wanted to go out"

"Yeah but I was hoping you'd have something in mind"

"Why the f-" He interrupted himself and lowered his voice that had slightly risen in volume. "Let's just walk around and see where we end up"

"We better not get lost" Oikawa huffed as he began walking down the road, Iwaizumi soon falling into step besides him.

"Please when have I ever gotten us lost" He replied.

"That time when we were 9 and you got us lost on the way home from school, because you wanted to see if there was a shortcut" Oikawa held up his hand and used his fingers to count down.

"That was years ago!" He exclaimed.

"Our 2nd year of middle school when we got lost because you swore you knew the way back and we ended up getting a ride home from some random old man"

"Please I can barely remember that" 

"1st year of high school when you got us lost in Tokyo because you swore you could read the map better than me" 

Iwaizumi scoffed and turned his face to the side. "All those different lines on the map were confusing"

"2nd year you got us lost on a hike in the mountains that you dragged me to, and we had no service so we had to follow some creepy group of people, who I _swear_ were in a cult, until we recognized the path we strayed from and we ran like mad from them"

"Okay that was kind of funny though" He flinched at the deadpan expression Oikawa sent him, before continuing in a meek tone. "You know memories we'll laugh at in a few years..." He trailed off, Oikawa choosing to ignore him.

"Finally," He put his last finger left down. "3 weeks ago when you told me you wanted to go to this new takoyaki place on the way home, except, you didn't know the way, the name of the place or even the name of the street it was on, and so we got lost and had to call your dad to pick us up"

Iwaizumi crossed his arms over his chest, head bowed down and cheeks tinted red. "Ok, ok I get it," He lifted his head and puffed his chest out. "but I won't get us lost this time I swear"

"Hmm I'll hold you to that" Oikawa held out his pinky with a smirk, Iwaizumi snatching it up confidently and sending Oikawa a smirk of his own. 

...

"So..." Iwaizumi drawled, awkwardly avoiding Oikawa's pointed glare. "We might be lost..."

"Really? How'd you know?" Oikawa gestured to their surroundings, arms outstretched and spinning slowly in a circle. "Is it the empty fields and paths leading to absolutely nowhere?"

Iwaizumi winced and sent Oikawa a guilty smile. "Hey at least there's no creepy group of people trying to recruit us into a cult this time?" 

Oikawa gave him an unimpressed look. "Ah yes, no creepy cult, but we are completely lost with..." He shoved his phone into Iwaizumi's face, a no service symbol displayed in the corner of the screen. "No service, just like last time!"

"Let's just keep walking, we'll end up somewhere familiar at some point" 

"Dumb idea but ok" Iwaizumi shot Oikawa a grin, clapping a hand on his shoulder and pulling him close enough to sling his arm completely on his shoulders, Oikawa instinctively circled his own arm around Iwaizumi's waist.

The two stumbled along the dirt path between desolate fields, the sun high in the sky and a scorching heat burning the back of their necks, which they paid no heed to. Despite the sweltering weather, they didn't push the other off them with complaints of how hot it was or how sweaty the other was, instead they stayed stuck together.

Iwaizumi felt Oikawa drawing circles on his waist the pad of his thumb, the soft caresses feeling completely natural against his skin; too natural. Light chatter circulated between them as they walked with no destination in mind, the road long and winding with practically no end. Iwaizumi felt an ache in his legs and leaned against Oikawa a little more, who didn't seem to mind the extra weight added on.

They eventually reached the end of the path, right in front of the edge of a forest. Oikawa looked dubiously at the looming trees towering above them, Iwaizumi himself couldn't help but be a bit apprehensive. That is until he heard a soft rush of water from far away.

"Can you hear that?" He turned to Oikawa with his eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

"Hear what?" 

"Water, like a stream or something" He replied eagerly.

"Iwa-Chan no" Oikawa shook his head furiously. "We're not going inside the forest, what if we die!" He cried out, arm dropping from Iwaizumi's waist, who frowned slightly at the loss of contact.

"Oh come on, we won't die stop being dramatic" Iwaizumi huffed and moved forward towards the forest, looking back once to see Oikawa stood stiff with his fist clenched by his sides, and a conflicted expression on his face. Iwaizumi sighed before turning back round and pulling Oikawa along with him by his arm. "Don't worry princess, I'll protect you"

Oikawa grunted and tugged his arm away, before walking next to Iwaizumi with his arms crossed and a childish pout. "I'm not a princess."

Iwaizumi ignored him, he was sure that Oikawa would follow him anyways. They walked further into the forest, common sense left behind them on the dirt path and the sounds of rushing water getting closer. He heard a quiet gasp next to him coming from Oikawa and the next thing he saw was him sprinting at full speed past him. 

"Oi slow down!" Oikawa turned back, not slowing down for a second, and shot a feral grin at him.

"It's getting louder!" He shouted enthusiastically, all previous thoughts about how dangerous the forest might be seemingly having disappeared. 

Iwaizumi couldn't help the bubbling laughter that escaped his chest as he began sprinting too and trying to catch up with Oikawa's longer strides. Suddenly he didn't feel like he's running anymore, his feet are light and there's no echoes of heavy footsteps crunching leaves, only the sound of euphoria. 

Instead he feels like he'd floating, like wings sprouted from his back, carrying him closer to heaven; closer to Oikawa. When he finally catches up with him, his heartbeat is erratic and his breath is beginning to labor, but he's not sure whether it from all the running or the sight of Oikawa right now.

Oikawa looked almost unreal under the sunlight that filtered through leaves like a million stars swimming on his face. The intimate way it weaved gold through soft tufts of hair like a master tapissier causing him to resemble something akin to a work of art. If angels existed, Iwaizumi thinks they might look like him.

He hears his heart stutter when Oikawa looks at him as they near a clearing. Oikawa is wide eyed and his mouth is stretched into a smile, one that shines like a thousand suns, and it's so blinding that Iwaizumi can't help but turn away from it's intense glow. 

They break through the mass of trees and leaves and spot a wide, but small lake just a metre away connected to a stream that leads to some place far away. They're frozen in awe as they wonder how long they've lived in Miyagi and had somehow never discovered something so beautiful. It feels like they haven't lived at all till now. 

Oikawa's the first to move again, he walks closer to the lake, crouches down and dips a finger into the water. It's cold, a temperature very welcomed in the current climate. He eyes the water cautiously, it looked clean enough to swim in and not contract a deadly disease.

With that notion he striped down into his boxers, clothes flailing to the side. Iwaizumi, finally shaken out of his trance, cries out right after Oikawa decided to canon ball into the water. 

"Are you crazy!?" He exclaims once Oikawa resurfaces only receiving giggles in response. "You don't know what's in there!"

Oikawa beats his arms gently causing ripples to emerge around him. "Iwa don't be a scaredy cat, get in!"

"No I'm not stupid!" He huffs in retaliation.

"Right, just a coward" Oikawa swims further away, preparing himself from the attack he's sure Iwaizumi is about to unleash.

"You..." Iwaizumi seethes through clenched teeth. 

Oikawa's antagonizing seemed to work because seconds later Iwaizumi is stripping down to his boxers and jumping straight into the water, successfully splashing water in Oikawa's face. The water feels like ice cubes freezing over his skin, a refreshing contrast to the summer heat from moments ago.

Once he resurfaces he swims towards Oikawa, stopping in front of him and kicking his legs to keep afloat. He reached a hand over to push Oikawa's bangs that had stuck to his forehead off his face. Oikawa used the back of his hand to gently splash water into Iwaizumi's face, earning him a grumble and a smack of water directed back at him. 

"See it's nice in here" Oikawa's arm wraps itself around Iwaizumi's neck, using it to help him stay above water. Iwaizumi doesn't push him off, instead his arms lazily coil around Oikawa's waist.

"It is" He breaks away to lay on his back, arms beating the water around him. "I can't believe we've never been here before"

"Right!" Iwaizumi can't see it, but he's sure Oikawa's grinning right now. "It's kind of like a secret. One only we know about"

He can't help but like the sound of that; a secret only they knew. They had a lot of those that they shared, but he thought a secret spot was a little more special.

"Other people must have been here before" He point out.

"Yeah but like, still" Iwaizumi chuckles as he hears Oikawa struggle to find a comeback. 

He hears Oikawa's feet kicking briefly before everything lays still, nothing but the hushed whispers of wind brushing against leaves being heard. Iwaizumi thinks it's a little too silent. 

He moves from off his back to an upright position, only to see nothing. He searches frantically around him, his head whipping around so fast that it almost snapped off. No sign of Oikawa. 

"Oikawa?" He hollers loud enough for the whole town to hear him. "Oikawa!"

He tries to search below the surface, his eyes stinging as he opens them underwater, but the water isn't clear enough for him to see anything that's more that half a metre away. He swims back up, completely breaking into panic now.

"Oikawa it's not funny!" His yells grow increasingly desperate "Where are y-"

Iwaizumi is cut off by something yanking at his ankle and pulling him underwater. He flails about, eyes squeezed shut as he tries to break free. He puffs his cheeks with air, arms trying to push him back up, but the thing holding his ankle seemed to be stronger.

He cracks an eye open, a face now being seen in front of him. Oikawa wore a mischievous smirk as he had the nerve to laugh at Iwaizumi, bubbles of oxygen escaping through his nose as he did so. Iwaizumi scowls at him and presses a hand on his chest to shove him away and shoots back up to the surface.

He gasped for air as he resurfaced, Oikawa following promptly after him. He whacked Oikawa on his head, causing him to yelp in pain and sent him a nasty glare.

"Idiot I thought something happened to you!" 

"Aw Iwa was worried for me" Oikawa reached out a hand to pat Iwaizumi's cheek, which he grabbed and used to pull him closer. "Wait-"

Iwaizumi clamped a hand on Oikawa's head and forced him underwater. Oikawa thrashed about in his grip, simultaneously throwing masses of water into his face, before finally going limp. Iwaizumi now satisfied with his revenge, pulled Oikawa's head out of the water, causing him to gape like a fish once back up as he gasped for air. Oikawa threw him a look of betrayal, to which he sent a smug smirk in response to.

"Were you trying to murder me!" Oikawa shrieked.

"That was the goal." He begun. "But I don't think prison is for me"

Oikawa had his arms folded and the most (non)threatening glare on his face. "You're such a brute, I think you'd fit right in!"

Oikawa glowered at Iwaizumi as he begun to laugh at him, something he didn't appreciate. He lifted his hand out the water and splashed Iwaizumi right in the face, causing some of the water to enter his open mouth. Oikawa stifled a laugh behind his hand as he began slowly paddling backwards, preparing himself from the repercussions he was about to face for his actions. Iwaizumi spat the remaining water out his mouth, majority of it having already been swallowed, and grimaced at the revolting taste of it.

"You bitch!" Oikawa yelped as he turned onto his front and began swimming away faster as Iwaizumi started towards him.

"Please! Have mercy!" Oikawa cried whilst turning back to see a furious Iwaizumi on his tail.

"Eat a dick!" Iwaizumi screamed back.

They swum in circles for a good few minutes, Oikawa somehow managing to evade Iwaizumi's attacks. Unfortunately for Oikawa, Iwaizumi was a faster swimmer and eventually caught up to him. He splashed a large wave of water at Oikawa's face, water making it's way inside his mouth and up his nose. Oikawa spluttered in disgust, and instead of being smart and ending their mini water fight there, proceeded to throw water back at Iwaizumi.

They chased each other, splashing each other back and forth, till the foul taste of the water became familiar to their tongues. Their angered screeches had turned to boisterous laughter, loud enough for the sun to hear and the ground to tremor from it's intensity. They fell apart at the seams as they played around like tall children reaching the ends of their youth. When they finally stopped their onslaught towards each other, they settled into a tranquil atmosphere.

Oikawa wafted through the waters and moved behind Iwaizumi, before latching onto his strong shoulders and legs wrapping around his waist. Iwaizumi hooked his arms underneath Oikawa's thighs to keep him in place, and noted the way they seemed to slot besides him so intimately that they felt like they belonged there. Iwaizumi kicked his legs softly, allowing them to swim in a small circle, with one of Oikawa's arm outstretched and leisurely beating the water in front of them. 

Iwaizumi felt a cheek land on his shoulder, hair brushing against his cheek, and the breath that tenderly caressed his neck. Oikawa rubbed his face gently against Iwaizumi's shoulder, his lips grazing the curve of it and causing a shudder to travel down Iwaizumi's spine. He looked down at Oikawa's face through the corner of his eyes, his vision was slightly blocked but he was still able to see the softness encased in the brown of Oikawa's eyes. 

He felt the tips of his ears burn, and he was sure that they were slowly glowing redder the longer he continued to stare at Oikawa. He felt Oikawa sigh against his skin, the warmth of his breath dissipating through it and into his veins. He dunked them further down into the water, so it was now soaking Oikawa's hair and just skimming the top of his shoulder. 

As he continued to gaze at Oikawa through hooded eyes, thoughts raced through his head, so fast he could barely register what he was thinking. There was one thing that repeated itself over and over and over again though. Just how much longer would they be able to be teenage boys together like this?

Iwaizumi doesn't think he's ready to leave their childhood behind, doesn't think he's ready to be left behind yet. He knows that soon him and Oikawa would part ways, it was inevitable after all. Oikawa was like the sun, bright and beautiful, and he needed a place he could shine as brilliantly as he was capable of. That wasn't here in Miyagi with him; him who wasn't anything more than useless matter in comparison. 

For the past 10 years the two had woken up to each others rhythm and spent the days dancing to each others tunes, the very notion of them being miles away from each other was strange and unnatural, they'd been partners for so long that they'd forgotten what it was like to even breathe a different air from each other. He dreaded the day that he would become nothing more than an afterthought, squashed in the very depths of Oikawa's mind.

He gently untangled Oikawa's arms from his shoulders, not letting go until Oikawa was securely floating by himself. When Oikawa whined in retaliation, he simply muttered something about 'being cold and tired', before paddling to the lake's edge and lifting himself out the water. He dragged himself along the ground and collapsed onto the soft bed of grass, leaving Oikawa alone in the water. Though, just a few moments later he heard the sloshing of water as Oikawa pulled himself out too. He felt the ground shake slightly as Oikawa’s body thumps heavily besides him.

Oikawa's head falls comfortably into the crook of his neck, and Iwaizumi doesn't think he's strong enough to push something so heavy off him --realistically he could, but he doesn't want to-- so instead he lays his head on top of Oikawa's. He allows himself this brief moment of affection, because soon he won't be able to do things as miniscule as brushing his hands against Oikawa's flushed cheeks, let alone be this close to him. 

They stay silent for a while, a thickness building in their throats that chokes them till small tears pool at the corner of their eyes. Iwaizumi's the first to swallow the thickness down with a heavy gulp.

"You're leaving soon" He says.

"Yeah, you are too" Oikawa replies, his voice sounding a little wistful.

"Not far though, I'm still gonna be here in Japan" Iwaizumi regrets his words as soon as they leave his mouth, they sound a lot rougher and accusatory than he intended them to be."Wait I didn't mean I-"

A humorless chuckle from Oikawa cuts him off. "No you’re right, you're staying here in Japan whereas I'm the idiot moving 18,000 kilometres away to chase after a dream I'm not even sure I can achieve" Iwaizumi can practically hear the bitter smile on his face. "It's okay if you're a little mad at me, because I am"

"I'm not mad, I'm just a bit sad, I guess" His voice is shaky as he speaks and he clears his throats in attempt to make it sound stronger. "I could never be mad at you, not really. Of course I'm gonna be sad though, I mean you're my best friend and we've been together for what, 10 years now. I don't know a life without you." 

"But I'm leaving you behind, and you're my partner, this was both out dreams and now I'm abandoning you to chase it alone" Iwaizumi feels droplets fall onto his shoulder, he doesn't bother to brush them off. "So be mad at me, yell at me, tell me I'm the worst, that I'm a selfish bastard... Please..."

Iwaizumi reaches his arm to rest a comforting hand in Oikawa's hair, gently brushing his hair in a soothing manner like a mother would her child. "Like I said I could never be mad at you, there's no reason to be because you're not selfish. I gave up on volleyball, playing it I mean. I'm chasing something else instead, so if anything I was the first to abandon us. You should be the one screaming at me."

Oikawa squeezes himself further into Iwaizumi's side, like he's trying to sear himself onto him so they can never separate. "Still, I'm going far away with nothing but myself and a childhood aspiration. I'm breaking away for what?"

"Isn't that all you need though?" Iwaizumi questions. "Besides we'll always be partners, a little distance isn't enough to separate us and you know that. Plus, you know yourself that if you don't do this, you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life. It's like, your destiny"

"Since when did you know my destiny?" Oikawa responds teasingly.

"Oh you know what I mean!"

"So you think I'll hate myself if I don't chase after the things I want?" Oikawa's voice is soft as he speaks, and it sounds almost like he's begging. Iwaizumi isn't sure what for.

"Yes" He replies curtly.

"What happens if I have two things I want to chase, except I can't have both. It's one or the other and if you're saying that I'll hate myself for the rest of my life if I don't go after them, then what?"

Iwaizumi's not sure how to respond. He's sure there's something more to Oikawa's words, an underlying meaning, but he brushes it off and tries to reassure Oikawa in the best way he thinks he can. "Pick the one you love more, the one that you'll know you'll never regret picking."

"I'll regret not picking either." There's a sense of desperation in Oikawa's voice and Iwaizumi wants nothing more than to pull him close and tight and help him through it all. But he knows he can't do that.

"Then don't"

"But I just said I have to" Oikawa replies dully 

"You can have both if you really want" 

"How?"

"Because you're Oikawa Tooru, Miyagi's best setter, Seijoh's resident heartthrob, and the most hard working person I know" He pauses, his tone softening as he speaks again. "The most talented person I know. If you can't achieve your dreams, both of them, then no one can." 

"Hajime..." Oikawa tries to speak but can't, he was at a complete loss for words.

"Don't let that get to your head though, you still have a long way to go." Oikawa spluttered out a 'mean Iwa-Chan', causing a fond smile to work it's way on Iwaizumi's face. "So work hard, take care of yourself and do what you want. Okay?"

Oikawa buried his face completely into Iwaizumi's neck, his voice being muffled as he spoke. "Okay."

Iwaizumi's neck grows wetter as Oikawa quietly shed his tears, and he began to feel his own tears fall down his cheeks. His presses his hand firmer against Oikawa's head, pushing it deeper into his neck, as if he would be able to absorb all of him that way. He lets out a breathless chuckle and tugs at the end of Oikawa's hair, beginning to lose all his composure.

"Why are you crying?" He asks as if there aren't tears dripping down his own face.

Oikawa takes a while to respond. "I'm leaving you here." His voice sounds raw as he speaks. "I don't wanna leave without you."

"I'll always be here, I promise, always and forever" Iwaizumi feels his voice break towards the end before he continues. "When you're finally done and you're happy with everything you've achieved, you can come back." He pauses momentarily to wipe his eyes with the back of his free hand. "You can come back to me, when you're tired from everything and you're ready to come home. Then you can come home to me."

"You promise?" Oikawa's asks meekly.

"I promise." Iwaizumi turned his head to press his chapped lips onto Oikawa's forehead.

A warmth spread over the both of them as they settle against the comfort of each other again. They hoped this wouldn't be the last time.

****

Iwaizumi’s summer in Argentina was spent either holed up in Oikawa’s one bedroom apartment; limbs draped over each other and movie marathons in a language only Oikawa could understand; or dancing in clubs with complete strangers instead of each other.

Iwaizumi hated it.

He hated the feeling of someone’s else’s body pressed against his, or the sound they made when they tumbled into a foreign bed together, because it always felt so wrong. So much so that he couldn’t ever go through with it, and instead stumbled back to Oikawa's empty apartment, alone.

The bastard was probably getting it in with yet another random club-goer. Nothing surprising really. Oikawa had always been the one to get the girls —and the guys— back in high school, not Iwaizumi. The masses of muscle he gained over the years only seemed to make him more alluring.

See, Oikawa had always been different. He demanded attention and always received it, even back in their humble prefecture of Miyagi. He was like a beacon, attracting everyone to him, like a moth to a flame. Perhaps it was because of the soft curve of his neck, or the pink of his lips, or maybe the boyish grin that graced his perfectly structured face. Whatever it was, it had thousands falling hopelessly in love with him. There was no refuting that.

So it didn’t come to a shock to Iwaizumi that he was just as in love with Oikawa as everyone else was. I mean it would be impossible not to be. After all, his memories were plagued with the soft eyed boy caught underneath his net, his grin shining brighter than any star he’d ever seen before. Iwaizumi finding out that he had always been in love with Oikawa wasn't some huge revelation to him; it was more of a realization.

Problem is, Iwaizumi realized too late. He didn't realize till Oikawa was already halfway across the world from him and he'd already given up playing volleyball. His first love seemed to flash before him, not pausing even for a second for him to catch up; and before he knew it, it was over.

Now he was stuck with stale feelings and a yearning for more than he thinks he's allowed. He knew he had nothing to blame but his own stupidity, he was the one who let Oikawa leave without a whisper of love, or even a brief brushing of lips. That didn't stop him from throwing a pity party every time Oikawa walked back into his place drunk off his ass and an afterglow painted on his face. 

When Iwaizumi came to visit Oikawa in Argentina he hoped it would be a second chance for him. He promised himself it would be, because he never could get over his feelings. He still loved Oikawa the same way he did as boys, as teenagers and now as adults. He thinks that he probably will always love Oikawa the same. 

So you can imagine his disappointment each night when he laid next to Oikawa in his cramped double bed, hands, legs, faces all touching, but never moving. He was so close, yet so far. There was only a week left of his stay too. Soon he'd be making his way back home to Japan, hands unoccupied and his heart left behind in the Argentinian summer.

Iwaizumi knew this too. He couldn't keep walking back into the same apartment and leaving his feelings on the doorstep before he entered. He prided himself in having great self-control, but for some reason that seemed to dwindle the longer he was with Oikawa. 

Iwaizumi tugged at the collar of his shirt itching against his damp skin. His heavy steps ricocheted against the walls of the empty hallway as he shuffled down to apartment 16. He dug his hand into his pocket, retrieving a blue painted key Oikawa had given him on his first day. The door felt heavier than he remembered it being this morning, and he seemed to struggle to push open the door and walk back into the apartment. 

He staggered in, panting and exhausted, as he made his way out of the entrance and into the main living area. He huffed in fatigue before slipping his shirt off and discarding it on the floor. He collapsed onto his side of the worn in couch (a used one gifted by a teammate of Oikawa), the leather sticking onto his sweaty skin. His arm dropped besides him out of habit, having gotten used to Oikawa's thigh being rested in the spot and underneath his warm hand.

His fingers skimmed gently over the Oikawa sized dip in the couch before falling sideways, his head resting on the arm rest. Iwaizumi grabbed the remote off the coffee table, that Oikawa had bought from this quaint little second-hand store, and turned the TV on.

His eyes flicked to the corner of the TV, seeing the numbers 5:35am glare back at him. He hadn't noticed how late it was. He spent a while staring blankly at the moving screen, remote in hand and flicking through various channels, until he landed on a channel playing an old 60's American sitcom. He dropped the remote onto the floor, before getting up to tug open Oikawa's thin curtains apart, light pouring in and encasing his figure in a warm glow.

He squinted his eyes and hissed at the sudden exposure, before swinging the window open and plopping back onto the couch. He could hear birds singing a soft morning tune and wondered if Oikawa, wherever he was, could hear it too. Or maybe the only thing Oikawa was hearing right now was a provocative voice moaning his name into his ears instead. 

He glanced back to the taunting numbers in the corner of the screen reading 5:40am, only 5 minutes had past; It felt like longer. His eyes drifted shut as his head carried him through a series of rambunctious thoughts.

He wondered when Oikawa would come back to him. Once he was satiated and full of course, and then he would tumble back onto the leather couch besides Iwaizumi and tangle his fingers between Iwaizumi's heartstrings. Iwaizumi wondered how much longer he could carry on loving Oikawa in the stillness of the living room. He doesn't think he can for much longer if he's being honest.

The quiet clicking of the door lock caused Iwaizumi to snap his eyes back open, twisting his body to face the door, and using the arm rest of the couch to lift his upper body off the couch. He buzzed in place, eyes flitting wildly over the door, waiting for it to swing open and a tipsy Oikawa to come floundering in. He heard swearing from behind the door, probably from Oikawa struggling to open it in his intoxicated state, but he made no move to help him.

A small cheer was heard seconds later, followed by the door slamming hard against the wall, causing Iwaizumi to wince at the impact. He saw Oikawa' eyes widen and Spanish curses falling off his swollen lips before they caught sight of Iwaizumi's bare body and a look of glee overtook his face.

He felt his heart constrict at the sight of golden glow that settled along Oikawa's cheekbones as he strided towards him, teeth bared in a warm grin, and a hand burrowing into his soft hair. He slapped his free hand on Iwaizumi's bare shoulder, causing a tremor to shake his body.

He felt Oikawa lift his head up with his hand, and plopping down into his side of the couch, then carefully lowering Iwaizumi's head to lay across his lap. Iwaizumi could feel the warmth of Oikawa's skin prickling against his scalp and goosebumps rising along his arms. A hand danced between his stiff tufts of hair, tugging against the ends lightly, not enough to hurt but not nearly as hard as Iwaizumi wanted.

"You had a good night?" Oikawa's voice sounded like warm honey poured over skin. Smooth and sweet.

"Yeah" Iwaizumi lied. "You?"

He hoped that Oikawa would frown and shrug, disappointment clear in his tone as he answered 'no, not at all'. Instead he got a coy smile followed by a wink and wished he'd never asked in the first place. 

"Yup!" Iwaizumi had never hated how happy Oikawa could sound till now. He paused before rubbing his back and hissing in pain. "My back kinda hurts now though"

Iwaizumi, despite his reluctance, found himself shifting so he was now facing Oikawa's torso, and wrapped his arms around his front, fingers digging into the stiff muscles of Oikawa's back to massage it. He pressed harder in certain spots, hoping that he would leave small bruises in his wake, hoping he could quietly stake his claim on the unmarked skin. He was truly insufferable.

He breathed in the scent of Oikawa's shirt, his skin and his sweat. He caught a whiff of a foreign cologne mingling with the scent of eucalyptus Oikawa carried. His fingers curled in repulsion and dug too hard into Oikawa's muscles causing him to hiss in pain. 

"Ah Iwa watch it" Oikawa groaned.

Iwaizumi toned down his touch, hands moving much lighter now. "Sorry" 

His shoulder groaned under the uncomfortable position, begging him to sit up and lessen the strain. His fingers had began to tire too and he soon retrieved his arms from around Oikawa and turned onto his back again; His head still being rested on Oikawa's thighs. 

"My hands are tired" He huffed.

"Thanks" Oikawa responded sincerely. "Iwa's such an angel" 

He scoffed and turned his gaze back to the sitcom playing, the canned laughter leering mockingly at him. He wondered if Oikawa would think he was all that angelic if he knew what woke him up in the middle of night with flushed cheeks and soiled briefs.

His nose twitched as the smell of the cheap cologne invaded his senses again when Oikawa slumped further down the couch, Iwaizumi's head moving closer to his upper body and now on his lower abdomen.

"You stink"

Oikawa chuckled, not at all fazed. "Blunt as ever I see" He lifted himself off the couch, Iwaizumi's head thumping onto the seat as a result, and taking his warmth away with him. "I'll go change then, so I don't offend his royal highness's nose" He teased.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes in mock irritation and draped an arm over his eyes. He could hear the faint pattering of feet from Oikawa pacing around his room and tried to block it out. It was frustrating how he seemed to pay attention to every move Oikawa made.. 

He emerged back into the room, shorts hung dangerously low on his hips and torso bare. Iwaizumi's eyes traced over the expanse of his unmarred, exposed skin, the curves and dips, the dimples on his back, even noting the small mole situated above his hip bone. He swore Oikawa was sculpted from the finest stone, with the finest hands carving his defined yet soft features. There was only one word Iwaizumi could think of when he looked at Oikawa; Beautiful. 

Beautiful, but not in the way models or deities are. He was beautiful in the way the sun was, and Iwaizumi didn't think he would mind being melted by his touch. 

His hands itched to trace along the gaps between vertebrae, to fit them against his waist like finishing puzzle pieces. He wanted to ghost his lips down the tanned skin stretched over ribs, to kiss down them and count how many he had protecting the heart he could never hold.

He wanted to part Oikawa's lips and press breathless kisses against them, the kind that make your stomach dip and knees weak. He felt like leaving a trail of bruises across his neck, his chest, and his back. He wanted to paint Oikawa's body like an artist on canvas, to ruin him with his marks. 

"Coffee?" Oikawa's voice broke him out of his trance-like state. He gave a curt nod in response before closing his eyes and tried to shake the image of Oikawa off of him.

There was a calm silence that settled around them, neither feeling the need to fill the space with mindless conversation. The sound of birds singing, animated English chatter on the TV, the whistling of the kettle on the stove all filtering the air instead. Iwaizumi let his mind wonder into a daydream again, a more tranquil and innocent one this time. One about a life he shared with Oikawa, just like this, except he didn't have to feign friendship with him like he was now.

He could stand behind Oikawa in the kitchen and lay his head in the crook of his neck, soft hair tickling his cheek, and place tender kisses along it. He could wrap his arms around his chest, body pressed flush against Oikawa's back and stay there as he made them coffee during late Sunday mornings. When he breathed, Tooru would smell like eucalyptus and him, and he would smell like ardor and Tooru. A life where Hajime was still madly in love with Tooru, and Tooru had fallen in love with Hajime

A warm mug was pressed against his cheek and he cracked an eye open before grabbing the steaming mug from Oikawa's slender hands, their fingers brushing lightly against each other. He heaved himself up, making space for Oikawa to sit next to him, and propping his left leg on the coffee table. Oikawa sat with his shoulders pressed against Iwaizumi's, leaving no space between them, and draped his leg over Iwaizumi's.

Instinctively Iwaizumi laid a calloused hand over his leg, patting it once before letting it rest there. Their attention was shifted to the show currently playing, another American sitcom, set in the 70's this time. Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, watched as his brows furrowed in confusion at the unfamiliar English they spoke on TV, completely different from what he learnt at school. He looked at Iwaizumi with a perplexed expression causing a chuckle to rise from his chest.

"Iwa-Chan what the hell are you watching?" He questioned.

He shrugged his shoulders before speaking. "It was the only thing I could understand" Iwaizumi leaned forward, his hands fumbling on the floor until they grasped at the remote he'd discarded there earlier. "Here," He handed it to Oikawa. "Change it if you like."

Oikawa took the remote, flipping through various channels before huffing and turning to Iwaizumi with a pout. "There's nothing interesting on"

"I mean, It's like 6am"

"True" He pressed the power button and lifted himself off the couch, taking his now empty mug with him to the sink. Iwaizumi stared down at his own mug still half-full and wondered when he got so distracted.

The sudden sound of shouts struck the calm atmosphere and echoed below the apartment and down the streets. Iwaizumi heard heavy footsteps make their way back to the living room, Oikawa coming back into sight and peering out his window with a curious gaze. He beckoned Iwaizumi over with a wave of his hand, who placed his mug down and walked the short distance over to the window.

"Ah! Alma and her boyfriend are at it again" Oikawa remarked, completely absorbed in the drama unfurling beneath them. "Now this, this is better than TV"

Iwaizumi chuckled as Oikawa flashed him a cheeky smile before swinging his legs over the window balcony and dangling over the sides, his body was blocked from going any further by a metal rail. He scooted over to make room for Iwaizumi, who promptly sat besides him with half a metres distance between them. Their hands laid quietly in the center, pinkies placed dangerously close. They watched attentively as the couple shouted back and forth in Spanish, Oikawa chuckling sometimes at what Iwaizumi guessed was a funny quote. He would occasionally nudge his hand against Oikawa's and ask what was happening, and Oikawa would look up to translate for him.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there like an old married couple with nothing better to do than spy on the neighbors, but Iwaizumi didn't mind it and ignored the burn in his thighs from sitting on the windowsill for too long. They stayed rooted in their spots long after Alma had stormed away from her (now ex according to Oikawa) boyfriend, slamming her door shut and leaving the man to clamber back into his car and drive off, the streets now calm again.

"You're leaving soon" Oikawa remarked, his wistful voice breaking the silence again.

"Yeah" Iwaizumi wrung his fingers together in slight distress. He was dreading the moment he'd have to board the plane back home. "I had fun"

"Good, good" Oikawa paused momentarily. "Is there anything else you wanted to do?"

Iwaizumi felt himself freeze at the question. There was so much more he wanted to do, he just didn't have the guts to do it. "We've done everything I wanted"

"Really" Oikawa didn't sound too convinced, sort of like he expected more. "Guess that's good then."

Oikawa released a breathy sigh besides him and hung his head back, soaking in the sunlight beaming across his face. Iwaizumi tipped his head to the side, eyes fixed on the details that made up Oikawa. He noted the darker hue of Oikawa's previously paler skin, it reminded him of their summers as boys, when they would spend hours in the sun and took on rich tans. 

"You've tanned" He blurted out.

"I do live in Argentina" Oikawa stated obviously, his eyes flickered down Iwaizumi's bare torso, a strange feeling throbbing in Iwaizumi's chest as he did so. "So did you, a lot as well"

Iwaizumi quipped a brow in question. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Nah you look good" Iwaizumi felt his heart jump out his throat and into Oikawa's open palm. "You look pretty" 

"Pretty?" 

"Yeah" He grinned innocently, but the minor glint in his eyes wasn't quite as innocent. 

"Are you making fun of me?"

Oikawa laughed into his hand, his head bowed and light catching onto the brown of his eyes. "I'm not, I promise" 

He held out his pinky towards Iwaizumi, his body bent over the railings so far it looked like he would jump at any moment, and Iwaizumi found himself hooking his pinky tight against Oikawa's as if it secured him to his spot. Hajime stared in search at Oikawa's eyes, trying to pick them apart for a glimpse of something, anything that would tell him what he was feeling right now was a lie. He found nothing.

He tugged their pinkies away, dropping his hand at his side and Oikawa's falling next to his. His head lulled back, eyes still gazing in Oikawa's direction, vision fixed specifically on the parting of his lips. He pondered in thought for a minute, if he did this, it could either fuck everything up beyond repair or, just maybe.

"Tooru" He called, voice thick and shaky. He waited for Oikawa to tilt his head towards him before continuing. "I lied"

"About what?" His face was creased in concern and Iwaizumi wanted nothing more than to smooth the fret lines with the pad of his thumb.

"I hated tonight" He heard Oikawa make a barely audible noise besides him but ignored it for now. "I've hated every night when we went clubbing"

Oikawa shifted, twisting his body to stare in shock. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought you were having fun the whole time!"

"You were having fun" Oikawa spluttered and shot him an incredulous look. "That's kind of why too though..."

"Okay, so me having fun makes you happy but somehow also stops you from enjoying a night out?"

"Yes" Iwaizumi responded bluntly, before his eyes widened and he scrambled to explain. "No not like that! Um, how do I say it?"

"Iwa you can tell me anything you know" Oikawa inched closer to him. "I'll always listen"

Iwaizumi knew he should've felt comforted if anything, except Oikawa was talking to him as his best friend. Not exactly what he was aiming for right now. He sucked in a sharp breath, muscles tightening in anxiousness, as he tried to rack his brain for the right words. He'd never really been good with them, and he never had to use them around Oikawa until now. They just always seemed to know.

"I lied about something else" It was now or never.

"Please don't tell me you hated everything else about your visit..." Oikawa halted his ramble, a brief yelp escaping him. "Actually, we have a week left, so we could make up for it!"

Iwaizumi couldn't help but chuckle, fondness flooding his chest. "Yeah, only a week" He stated, more so to himself than anything."When I said I've done everything I wanted to, I lied. There's still a few things I haven't done yet. I think...if I don't do them now, I never will."

"Hajime please don't tell me you're dying..." Iwaizumi could hear the genuine concern in his tone, amusing him to an extent. He wasn't dying of course, but he felt like he would if he didn't do anything.

"No, no I'm not" Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. "But it's something I can't do later, if not now"

"What do you mean? You'll visit again won't you?"

"I will, but it'll be too late then" 

"I don't understand"

Iwaizumi sighed in frustration, he knew he was being vague, but he really wished that Oikawa could take a fucking hint. He tugged harshly at his hair, ruffling it and letting out a deep groan. "I don't know how to say it"

"Then show me" He replied curtly.

Iwaizumi huffed in disbelief. However, if he thought about it, he really could just show him. "Promise you won't get mad" 

Oikawa scoffed and rolled his eyes. "When have I ever been mad at you? I don't even know how to be"

There was a tightening in his chest at Oikawa's words. Iwaizumi didn't know how to be mad at Oikawa either. Irritated sure, but not mad.

The emotion swimming in Oikawa's eyes, intensified by a warm glow, unnerved him. It was an emotion he didn't recognize on Oikawa, one he can't name, and he'd believed that he'd seen everything. He'd seen him smile blindingly till his cheeks hurt. He'd seen him with tired eyes and aching limbs. He'd seen him face relaxed, snores and drool escaping out parted lips. He'd seen him burning with rage, face flushed and flames charring his skin. But he'd never seen him like this. He wondered why he'd never met this Oikawa before, maybe he'd missed it between then and now.

Iwaizumi tilted his head, eyes dazed and flickering over Oikawa, gaze lingering on the strong arch of his cupid's bow, saw it stretch out into a shy grin. He felt nerves rise to his throat and gulped in attempt to push them down, eyes still fixed solely on Oikawa. His body shifted closer, their knees now touching, and Oikawa bent his head more towards him, almost like he was anticipating something.

He reached an arm out hesitantly, nearly dropping it, before cupping it softly under his cheekbone, and gently pulling him nearer. His hand seemed to fit perfectly on Oikawa's cheek, and he could feel heat emanating from reddening skin. He felt Oikawa almost melt in his hand, felt him crane his neck impatiently, edging closer and closer. 

Iwaizumi dipped his head down, eyes flickering down to his lips once more before closing in. His lips ghosted over Oikawa's, feeling the softness of them and brushing them lightly against his, before capturing them fully between his. His eyes flew shut as he pressed harder, desperately trying to drink in the taste of Oikawa, begging his feelings to be transmitted through a frantic kiss. 

He almost jerked back in shock when he felt a hand pull at his hair, digging greedy fingertips into his scalp and tugging him closer than what Iwaizumi thinks is possible. He feels himself falling, running out of breath, as Oikawa stole the air from his lungs, but he doesn't pull away. 

They do eventually pull away, maybe seconds or minutes or hours later, panting madly and cheeks bruised pink. They stare at each other with glassy eyes, Oikawa's lips tugging into a bashful smile and his cheeks blushing even darker. Iwaizumi slid his hand down Oikawa's face to rest on his chest, right on top of his heart. He could feel it race furiously, was sure that he could taste the blood rushing fervently in his veins. 

"I'm not mad" He whispered low enough that no one but Iwaizumi could hear, not even himself.

"You're not mad?" Iwaizumi pressed his hand firmer against Oikawa's chest, almost gripping at the skin. He felt like if he didn't hold on strong on enough he'd lose his sense of gravity and tumble back down to Earth.

"No," Oikawa's voice melted from the heat between them. "I've always wanted to do that"

Iwaizumi couldn't help the dopey grin from appearing on his face, tenderness spilling out of his mouth. His head fell between the crook of Oikawa's neck, searing a kiss into it and tasting his sweat on his lips. He'd imagined this kind of thing a million times over, he learned that the reality was much sweeter than his fantasy.

"Remember our last summer together, I told you that I had something else I wanted to chase." He pauses and continues once he hears a faint 'yeah' followed by Iwaizumi burying his head further into his neck. "It was you, I wanted to chase you."

Iwaizumi feels his grin getting lost in Oikawa's skin, like it belonged to him. "Since when" He asked, his voice muffled against Oikawa's neck.

"I'm not sure" Oikawa shrugged his shoulders, his hand still placed on Iwaizumi's head keeping it steady and twirling his hair between his fingertips. "I can't remember when it actually started... you?"

"Always," Iwaizumi lifted his head, to look into Oikawa's hazed eyes. "It's always been you" This time it was Oikawa who pulled him closer, who pressed hard against him, his lips being caught desperately between Oikawa's.

He felt him breath life into him through parted lips. He felt flowers bloom in his chest, vines wrapping around his heart and squeezing it with a gentle warmth. The rest of the world fell deaf, as if they were the only two left, undisturbed and reveling in each others touch. 

Hajime can't remember a time where he didn't love Tooru, he didn't think it was possible. He wondered how long he'd spent loving him in silence, and how long Tooru had spent loving him back. They were two halves of the same soul, and what a blessing it was to be with your soulmate since forever.

He cursed himself for not realizing sooner, for wasting time where he could've kissed him more, where he could've felt him unravel beneath him like he was now, where he could see the tender ache written in his eyes, one that he was sure was reserved solely for him. He doesn't dwell on it for long though, because he's here now, wrapped in a tenderness completely foreign yet so familiar to him. 

There were a million words resting on the tip of his tongue that he translated through the kiss. They never needed to speak for the other to understand; not then and not now. Still, Iwaizumi gently held Oikawa's flushed face between his hands, as if scared he would shatter like glass if he pressed too hard, and reluctantly teared himself away from him to speak. His spoke in a low, enchanted whisper, like it was a secret shared only between them.

"I've always been yours"

They joined once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> This is a little different to most other things I've written, as I'm used to writing mainly angst and for the first time I wrote something that is primarily fluff/comfort with barely any angst added. That being said, it may not be all that great so I'm really appreciative of the fact that you actually read all of that!
> 
> Please tell me what you thought in the comments, I'd love to hear your take on my writing!
> 
> The kiss scene was actually inspired by a tiktok made by @/santa.ana.winds. Their art is literally god tier. The link for it is [here](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeNVumjW/)


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